Our Pioneer and Trail Boss

When you hear the term "pioneer", what comes to mind?  Maybe you think of The Oregon Trail, the westward expansion that greatly multiplied the geographical area of these United States.  Maybe you think of a scientist who discovers a radical new process or who uncovers a mystery of the universe previously hidden.  Maybe, like me, you start to hear the Star Trek theme in your head.  "To bold go where no one has gone before..."

Nabeel Qureshi's current best-seller, No God but One: Allah or Jesus, has been mentioned in my blog before.  In reading, I've learned a great deal about the Muslim faith from Nabeel, who was steeped in it from his childhood.

One of the things that Muslims assert as a pillar of their faith is that Jesus did not die on the cross. There are a couple of theories they use to explain their position.  One, you may have heard of.  It's called The Swoon Theory.  Essentially, it says that Jesus merely lost consciousness, or went into a coma, while on the cross, mimicking death.  The other theory is a little more far-out. It claims that Satan disguised another man by putting Jesus' face on him, so that people believed it was Jesus who died, although it was not.

The reason I bring this up is Hebrews 2:9-10 (ESV) - - 

9But we see him who for a little while was made lower than the angels, namely Jesus, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.

10For it was fitting that he, for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the founder of their salvation perfect through suffering.

The pastor of Hebrews plainly states that Jesus died.  He "tasted death for everyone".  Cockerill reminds us that the importance of Jesus' death cannot be overemphasized.  Paul says the same, in 1 Corinthians 15, where he adds the dimension of the importance of Jesus' resurrection.  (Obviously, a death is necessary for a resurrection!)

Verse 10 reminds us that Jesus' death was no mere death, but rather the most heinous, violent and torturous death available to the people of that day.  Jesus did not just die - - - He suffered incredibly as He died. The pastor of Hebrews makes the point that it is through His obedient suffering, which culminated in His death, that He became the Pioneer.

What are the various layers of meaning to that term, our Pioneer?
1.   Jesus was the only God-Man, the only flesh-born human to live a sinless life.
2.   Jesus, through His example, left a powerful example of obedience, endurance and triumph for us beleaguered redeemed sinners to follow.  Remember, this letter/sermon was addressed to the blood-bought people of God, not to the world in general.  When we are called upon to suffer for our faith, we are only further cementing and legitimizing our identification as God's sons and daughters.  (See Hebrews 12.)
3.   Jesus, through His resurrection, was "the firstborn from the dead".  In other words, the same God-directed resurrection power that raised Jesus Christ from the dead is at work in the lives of those who bear His name.  And, ultimately, it will raise our bodies (no matter their physical state) from the dead on that great resurrection day of which only God knows the date and hour.   This is our destiny as Jesus Christ's spiritual offspring, His children.

Maybe you are someone else's "pioneer".  Think about that for a moment.  Whether you are a Christian or not, I'll bet there is someone who looks to you....for support, for guidance, as an example. What kind of pioneer are you?  What kind do you want to be?

I don't know about you but, even as a Christ-lover and Christ-follower, I often feel inadequate.  Does that surprise you?  Did you think that Jesus was a magic pill who made everything easy and allright? If anything, following Jesus makes me increasingly aware of my own inadequacies, my own propensity to screw things up, to fall on my face, UNLESS I am keeping my eyes firmly fixed on My Pioneer and (this is the secret) leaning on Him for guidance, wisdom and strength.  As a Christian, I KNOW I am hopeless as a goat when I try to power through in my own strength.

Probably no one reading this has ever been part of a wagon train.  But, do you know what the first rule of the wagon train was?  It was to respect the authority and leadership of the Trail Boss.  As long as I do that, I can then be the best "pioneer" to others who look to me as possible.  And, I can find rest for my soul in that.  Praise God!

Lord Jesus, thank you for "pioneering" on my behalf and on the behalf of all who will make You their "trail boss".  Thank you for suffering for me, dying for me, rising from the dead for me, being my example for this earthly life and for the promise of my future resurrection.  I love You and worship You with all my heart.  In Jesus' name, amen.

Wonderful Example? Horrible Warning?

Someone gave me a calendar several years ago.  It was one of those themed items (maybe by Maxine?) that had a saying or an adage for each day.  You could flip from one day to the next and see some humorous bit of wisdom.  Often, as I flipped over the new page, I'd laugh.  But, one day, I flipped the page to see this:

"You can either be a wonderful example, or a horrible warning."

This sobering thought reminds me of Paul's plea in today's text:

17  Brethren, join in following my example, and observe those who walk according to the pattern you have in us.  18  For many walk, of whom I often told you, and now tell you even weeping, that they are enemies of the cross of Christ, 

Other versions translate "following my example" as the word "imitate".  The Greek word is Symmimētai , a word not used elsewhere in Scripture, which actually means "co-imitators".  That's why the NASB translates the thought as "join in following my example".
The other key word here then is "join", which signifies Paul's desire for the Philippians to unite in following the example set forth by him and by others like him, hence the "us" at the end of verse 17.

This reminds me of a time when, as a choral director of high school choirs, I attended a wonderful week-long workshop to learn choreography from a Disney park choreographer.  Fortunately, I was in my 20s at the time and in great physical shape.  The choreographer would stand in front of our group and, in order to learn the moves to each piece of music, the group would imitate him.  If we made missteps (and we made many), he would make us go over the steps again and again, until we "got it".
The end result was a beautiful and powerful synchronized performance where, not everyone looked the same, but we all together made a tremendous impact through both our auditory and visual performances.

So, there is also a call for unity in these verses.  He goes on in the passage to highlight two women who are having some kind of squabble, and to ask the small church to help them work it out.  As believers, we will have disagreements, sometimes serious ones.  Often, the call for unity is proclaimed, to resolve the differences.  But, unity for the sake of appearances or comfort is a false unity.  In other words, unity is great, but only if it is based on truth.  We as Christians are admonished to be unified, but not when error is present.

Paul recognized the power of example, of mentoring, of leadership.  In 1 Cor. 11:1, he "grounds" his admonition by anchoring it into bedrock.

Be imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ.

Furthermore, in the earlier parts of his letter to the Philippians, and in his other letters, he describes the characteristics believers should imitate as well as the ones they should avoid.  What Paul desires they imitate is his distrust of his own abilities to live for Christ under his own power, his clear sense of his own shortcomings, as well as his earnest desire to reach the perfect example Christ Jesus gave.

Some have said that Paul is being arrogant in his request for the Philippian believers to imitate him. What he is asking of the Philippians is that join him single-mindedly in a similar quest  - - - - that being to pursue righteousness by following Christ's example.  Every Christian should be able to say these same words to their brothers and sisters in Christ.  If we can't declare that we are "walking this way" or "walking worthy", then we need to examine our hearts, repent of and confess any hidden sins and perhaps even re-examine our own salvation to see if it is indeed true.

Paul is writing to believers here, about people in the Philippian church.  In verse 18, he writes about church members who break his heart.  Apparently, in addition to believers who are following his and Christ's example, there are those who are living as "enemies of the cross of Christ."  What an indictment!  You might say that these are a "horrible warning"!  It is sad to contemplate that enemies of Christ can infest the church.  But, it happens.  When any believer falls into sin, or worse, practices sin, he or she at that moment is an enemy of the cross of Christ, because that sin is an affront to God. It is like a slap in His face, after all He has done to redeem us.
The people Paul describes here, though, are of the "practicing" kind.  Instead of "walking worthy", they persist in their sin, in order to set up their own power-structures, their little "kingdoms", which stand in opposition to the kingdom of God.  Psalm 55:20-21 (ESV) describes these people perfectly:

My companion stretched out his hand against his friends;

he violated his covenant.

His speech was smooth as butter,

yet war was in his heart.

His words were softer than oil,

yet they were drawn swords.

We are to avoid them...like the plague.

So, today's question for me and for you is this:  which will you choose to be?  A wonderful example? Or, a horrible warning?

Father, may each of us, Your redeemed, blood-bought Bride, make the choice today to join together in imitating Your Son, our Savior.  It is in His glorious name I pray, amen.